florisdekort

Exactly 👍🏻

I’m not interested at all in what other people wear or what they want the dress code to be. I’m only interested in complying with what the dress code is as per Seabourn’s website.

TKG is smart casual every night, which is why we dine there on formal nights - to avoid having to pack and wear dinner jackets. We do obviously adhere to the description of the smart casual dress code.

Dress code topics on here always become heated because people keep confusing what they want the dress code to be with what it is. All you need on “formal optional” nights is a sports jacket and slacks (no jeans). And only in The Restaurant at that. All other venues are smart casual every night. It really isn’t more complicated than that and although some Seabourn regulars aren’t happy with it, Seabourn hasn’t been formal for many years now.

No need to apologize. Nobody ever said “pax who prefer the MDR for lunch do not care about welfare of crew”. What was said is that if only very few people show up to these lunches on port days, it makes sense to get rid of them so the crew can enjoy some time on shore - which makes total sense to me as I’ve experienced days with only one or two tables showing up. It baffles me how eager some people are to feel insulted these days. No wonder the same people complain about just about everything on the ship.

With that attitude, perhaps you should book a private yacht.

Because 95% of passengers prefer the Colonnade for lunch on port days and only ~10 people show up at the Restaurant. Closing one venue allows everyone to get an occasional break, as the crew works all venues.

I 100% agree. Very well said. I can think of plenty more changes that will come… the only question is when.

The Restaurant is open for lunch on sea days only. I’m happy with that policy. It just doesn’t feel right to make crew stay on the ship to serve lunch to a small number of people while they could be enjoying some much deserved downtime in port. And there are plenty of other options for lunch while in port anyway - both on the ship and on shore. Currently, lunch in The Restaurant on sea days is first to be temporarily dropped in case they’re short staffed because of Covid. Again, the right call i.m.o. vs. closing other venues.

Happy you can stay on board! Have them wrap blankets around you at E&O…

We are boarding Quest on 28 October and are very much looking forward to our cruise. Given the relatively recent restart and global staff shortages, I’m sure a large portion of the crew will be new to Seabourn and still learning, but frankly, that is to be expected and we’ll deal with it with enthusiasm and encouragement, not with endless complaining and not with an “I paid $1500 per night” attitude. I’m sure it won’t be perfect, but I highly doubt Quest is a “hot mess”.

You leave dirty coffee cups on your balcony? 🤔

There is quite a bit of detail missing from this post. Smoking is allowed on Venture’s *current* cruise, on a small section of deck 9 aft (outside), because a number of passengers had been misinformed when they booked their cruise and therefore was under the impression that the ship had an outdoor smoking area. As the current cruise is a repositioning cruise (St John’s to Puerto Rico, 7 sea days), Seabourn accommodated them. Nobody has said / announced anything about future cruises or Venture no longer being a non-smoking ship.

In today’s overheated employment market where it’s hard to attract *and retain* top talent, Seabourn might not have much control over this. If the only way to retain senior people is through offering them the unique experience of being part of the launching team of a new (expedition) ship, or offering them their first choice of ship, I’m confident they’d do it. Employees aren’t pawns you can just send somewhere, especially not in today’s world.

Wow. Someone is having a good time. Clearly that’s not allowed.

Thanks for sharing! Very interesting to read a totally different perspective on the exact same cruise. And from a seasoned Crystal cruiser on their first ever Seabourn cruise at that…

We’re very pleased Seabourn is going paperless and find it incredibly easy to read The Herald in the app, so see no need to ask for a hard copy. To each their own I guess.

Find a better travel agent.

June. We’ve always had the best weather that time of the year, there’s maximum daylight and it’s just before the peak of the European school holidays.

The bread rolls and mashed potatoes at TKG 🤪 The grandma’s cake at Seabourn Square. And almost everything at Earth & Ocean.

The town itself isn’t great, but there’s a lot to do in the wider Trois Rivières area. Certainly not boring! As for “cheaper”, probably, but Seabourn Quest isn’t the only ship trapped in the river and docking space in Quebec City is limited, so I’m sure all ships have to share and no single ship can just dock there for 3 or 4 days.

So Seabourn has completely altered the itinerary of this cruise with Quest now hanging out in Trois Rivières and Quebec City until Fiona has passed.

Check’s Seabourn Ovation’s Bridgetown, Barbados itineraries.

Stating the obvious, they want you to use OBC for on-board products on which they earn a healthy margin. Using esp. non-refundable OBC for tips earns them nothing. When my TA asks me if I want a discount or OBC, I always say discount because that’s 100% value to me. OBC to buy a bottle of wine for $75 that retails for $25 is giving 2/3s of my incentive back to the cruise line.

I’m booked for 270 nights on a competing cruise line between today and end 2024 and every single one of those sailings is more interesting than Azamara’s 2024 itineraries - sadly, as they remain one of my favorite lines. Many small ports, overnight stays and 11 pm departures - once Azamara’s unique selling point. And no, I don’t think “the state of the world” is a valid argument, the vast majority of countries is already open, and 2024 is still a year and a half away.